Logical Argumentation and Critical Thinking

Logic is a key-competence for undergraduate students. It helps them to identify the crucial elements in scientific texts and to structure their own writing in a clear and straight-forward way. The starting point of our seminars are basic concepts of logic: validity and soundness of arguments, deductive vs. inductive arguments, common types of inferences and fallacies. From these basics we derive practical tips that help students to state their arguments in a maximally precise way both in texts and orally.

Every participant gets the chance to apply the acquired methods directly to their own writing and to get feedback from the group and the trainer. The seminars are especially helpful for students who are about to write a Master’s or a B.A. Thesis. Courses available in English or German.

Objectives

The participants…

state their arguments in a precise and logically coherent way

learn to quickly identify the strengths and weaknesses of arguments

learn how to break-down arguments into their logical structure

train analytical thinking

Methods

The methods are interactive throughout. The course provides extensive exercises that aim at the application of the acquired skills to the participants’ individual fields of work. The participants get individual feedback on the results of their exercises by the group and by the trainer. The theoretical contents of the course are also conveyed through dialogue and exercises. There will be no pure presentations by the trainer.